Posted: 2006.12.26(Tue)18:29 Post subject: what type of filter do you recomend?

Hello,
I currently have a 10 gal unplanted tank. In it I have 6 MickeyMouse platies, 3 Emerald Cories, and 1 Pleco. The platies breed like crazy , But I donate the fry to the local school system I do about 33% water change each week(3 Gals). This setup was a Walmart special that I got when I wanted to try fish keeping, which by the way I love!! I have limited space so the 10 Gal was a good choice, but I've seen on-line a 20 Gal that has the same footprint, just twice as high( this will work great) What I'm wondering is what type of filter is the best UG, HOB , Cannister? I have no interest in increasing the tank population, I would just like to have more room for my new found friends. Will my current heater work? how many watt heater should I have? Is there any special instructions I need to transplant the fish? Any help would be great!!!

most plecos (with a few exceptions like bristlenose) are way too big for any tank less then 55 gallons since they usually get quite big and produce massive amounts of waste. even a bristlenose should be kept in nothing smaller then a 20 gallon. I suggest you find out what species it is. as for filter, the canister filter is usually used in large setups because of their filtration power. in a 10 gallon, they might be overkill and their flow rate might be too tough, so I recommend a HOB filter. as for your heater, a heater of 50 watts will do._________________New to fishkeeping? Click the banner

There are many types of filters that will work for a 20 gallon tank. I would personally go with a HOB power filter which can be purchased for much less than a canister but still provide plenty of filtration for your tank. I really like AquaClear filters and have been using them for years.

There are many smaller species of Plecos that can be kept in 20 gallon tanks including Bristlenose, Clown, etc. However if yours is a Common then it would be best to remove it from your tank. They get very large and produce a large amount of waste.

A good rule to follow when choosing a heater is simply 5 watts per gallon of tank water, so for a 20 gallon tank you would need a 100watt heater._________________55 gallon FOWLR saltwater tank

that pleco u have will grow, sure... but it won't grow so fast that u need to worry right now. a twenty gal tank can house a 10" pleco as long as the tank isn't over crowded... chances r u bought that pleco small (between 2-4"), u could keep him for a few years w/out worrying and then sell him back to a lfs (NOT petsmart). at which point u could either buy another small pleco, or something else.

don't forget to feed your pleco algae wafers and cucumber slices

u can cut down on algae by adding live plants (hardy ones w/ roots because the pleco will dig'em up w/ his movement), shrimp, snails (but no plants as they will eat them) also try to feed your fish a high quality diet, this will cause less waste to come from them, meaning less stuff for algae to feed off of...